THE INCIDENT IN LYME
by Biddy429
Summary: My version of the how Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot renewed their acquaintance after an eight year separation but in order to get there Frederick needs to save Anne and find out who wants to cause her harm.
1. Chapter 1

_I make no claim on being as brilliant and Ms Austen and take this opportunity to borrow the characters from her wonderful story Persuasion. I will care for them and look after them although I will also mould them and make them do what I wish for the foreseeable future. They will always remain her property and I shall return them when I have used and abused them appropriately!_

_**The Incident in Lyme**_

_**"All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one; you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone."**_

_Chapter 1_

We had been only one day and night at Lyme and whilst the weather was not at its best it was suitable enough to go out for a walk along the Cobb.

Everyone had arrived in the dining room for breakfast. I noticed that Anne had taken a seat as far away from me as she possibly could and to be honest, I did not blame her. I had treated her badly over the last few days; my anger would not permit me to treat her otherwise. I have tried on more than one occasion to step back from Miss Louisa but she prevails at all costs and manages always to involve me in her chattering and actions. Much to my dismay. I have only myself to blame for trying to alienate Anne by my actions.

I turned to look out of the window and spotted the man from yesterday who we had seen walking along the Cobb. There was something in his demeanour that unsettled me and I was not sure of what this could be. I already knew that he stirred a jealousy in me, I had after all seen him staring openly at Anne in admiration and I did not like this, not one bit.

I could not blame him however for his reaction to her countenance. She had a glow about her; her cheeks were pink with health and her skin as fresh as a daisy. The outing to Lyme had greatly improved her countenance and only now I realise that her youth, her beauty had been there all along. She had a sadness around her however, a sadness put there because of my actions I think and I would do anything I could to lift that sadness and replace it with happiness if she would only let me.

As I looked at the gentleman outside the Inn I realised that he wore a black crepe ribbon around his hat, he was in mourning, as was his coachman, from the loss of a close relative it would appear. He was in the midst of speaking to the coach man and as he did so I asked the Innkeeper the question "Who is that man?"

The Innkeeper was standing alongside me looking out of the window and immediately replied "Oh Sir, that would be Mr William Elliot, he is on his way to London and then to Bath I believe to meet some relations he has not seen for a long time, he is mourning after the death of his wife and has recently came into a substantial amount of funds, or at least that is what his coachman had told me"

"I see" was all I could reply as I then realised that this man was a relation of the Elliot's.

Before I could say any further Mary spoke with near excitement in her voice, "Oh Anne dear, that gentleman must be our cousin, did you not hear, a Mr William Elliot, he is so handsome and it such a shame we were not introduced to him"

Anne answered her in a no nonsense tone "Now Mary, we cannot be sure if he is related to us and in any case if he is the William Elliot you speak of, I doubt if father would approve of us being introduced, he made an ill match in his marriage, so father says, and they have not spoken these 10 years or so"

"Oh fiddlesticks Anne, he is our cousin, and it looks to me that he is recently widowed so what would the harm be? Anyway, it is too late now, he has boarded his carriage but I urge you sister, please let father know our good fortune to have seen him when you next write to him in Bath"

"Indeed Mary, on the contrary, I will do no such thing!" replied Anne.

Yes, I was happy that Anne was not influenced by the gentleman and this pleased me.

Mary was almost as bad as her pompous father at times, putting more onus on a person's station in life and how rich you were rather than who you were and what you achieved in life. I was glad that my Anne did not think this way; this was one of the reasons why I loved her so much. My thoughts were getting beyond me, Anne is no longer "my Anne" and I would have to remember this. She may no longer care for me the way I care for her still. Perhaps, I thought I could make her "my Anne" again soon…..

Breakfast continued and once we had all finished everyone rose to return to our respective rooms. As everyone was departing Captain Harville spoke, "ladies and gentlemen, I propose we take a trip along the Cobb this morning to at least work off our breakfast, is everyone in agreement?"

There proceeded many replies of "yes, we would be delighted"

"Well then that is settled" replied Harville and looked at his clock "I suggest we all meet at the entrance way then at 12noon" Everyone agreed and moved to return to their rooms.

I removed myself, not to my room, but to the parlour where I was joined by Harville.

Harville and I had been best friends for a number of years; we confided in each other on many things and grew exceptionally close in our times at war. He knew me like no other, he knew of my anguish after losing Anne, he was the only person who knew this.

We each took our seats and before long began a companionable conversation.

"Well Wentworth, there is something troubling you these days, you seem out of sort. Would this be to do with a certain lady being in our company?" asked Harville.

"Me? Out of sorts? No, Harville there is nothing wrong with me" I replied but I knew Harville was not going to leave it there.

"Come now Frederick, I know a man in love when I see one and you my friend fit the bill, am I not correct?" said Harville.

I knew I would not get away with this so I replied on a sigh "Is it so obvious? I thought I had managed to conceal my feelings. If you can see them then so can she" I said.

"I doubt it my friend, she is too shy and distraught to see your true feelings, and she is already feeling awkward and no doubt unwanted in our party. She is a lovely girl but what I cannot understand is why you let her go eight years ago?"

I looked at my friend and realised that he was a very astute individual although I felt I should correct his assumptions. "I let her go? No, my friend I am afraid you have the wrong of it, it was she who let me go, I asked her for her hand, she agreed to it and then had a change of heart and told me she could not and would not marry me, so you see I did not let her go"

Harville sat for a moment and thought about my words then replied "I am sorry my friend, I had not realised and I see that your feelings have not waned over these past eight years, is there no hope of re-attachment?"

"I doubt it Harville but I am going to try as best I can"

"Good man" said Harville as he slapped me on the back in an effort to offer me his support.

"Tell me Harville, do you see the way her family treats her? It is as though because she has never married they feel that they have the right to treat her as though she were not a worthwhile member of their family. I must be honest Harville, I am a patient man but I am becoming less patient in this respect, I cannot, no I will not tolerate this treatment of her, she is a sweet girl of good and strong character and deserves to be treated with love and respect"

"Yes Frederick, I agree with you, although I doubt if there is anything you can do until you make her aware of your feelings as you cannot defend her without causing her undue concern"

"I know Harville, indeed I know this". I replied. "I want to tell her how I feel but this is not the time nor is it the place to do this. I wonder if she realises just now much I love and care for her, do you think she knows."

"Frederick, if she is the woman I think she is then I think she may know, your eyes follow her everywhere, you are always near her and I feel you do not even realise this. Both Benwick and myself have seen this and I am unsure if anyone else has noticed but as they ignore Anne most of the time I doubt it"

"My God, I must save her from her family, she deserves so much more in life" I replied with determination.

"Well my friend, I urge you to speak with her at the earliest opportunity. Why do you not speak to her when we are out for our walk, take her aside and speak with her, I am sure this can be done" advised Harville.

"Yes, I will try however it may be difficult as Louisa is always looking for my company. I am not a vain man as you well know my friend but I feel that I had led the girl to believe that I may be interested in her and I must make a conscious effort to deter her so perhaps taking Anne aside to speak to her may be the solution"

"Indeed, Frederick, capital" was all Harville replied.

We sat in companionable silence for a few moments before we heard a ruckus outside the parlour room door. It was the rest of our party gathering for our walk along the Cobb.

Before we rose to leave the parlour I detained Harville yet again "Harville, I must say quickly if I am to try and speak with Anne can you please try and keep the others back, I know this will be a difficult task but I must do this as I cannot bear seeing her being treated like this for much longer. Why only yesterday on the Cobb Louisa and Henrietta walked down the steps before her, leaving her at the tail end when she, as the most superior woman in the party, should have been at the front, not even her sister nor indeed Charles Musgrove can see this" I replied in disgust.

"Of course Frederick, I will do what I can and also employ Benwicks assistance. I can see you have a lot of disdain for her family and I do not blame you Frederick but and I am sorry for saying this you must apportion some of the blame to yourself, and whilst she ended the ended the engagement between you, you are after all the one who walked away from her"

"We have discussed this Harville, I have made every offer of explanation to you. I did not want to walk away from her, I had no choice in the matter, was I to remain and plead for her hand when she would not have me, I have my pride. I could remain and watch her family laugh at me and think I would cause a degrading match within their family, I am better than that or at least I thought I was. Did you know that not only did her family reject the notion of our marrying but a close family friend also had a hand in the plot, a Lady Russell from what I recollect. I did blame her for making the choice she made, I felt that she was of a weak mind and did not have the strength to stand up for herself and took on board the wishes of her family instead of her own but now, now I know the truth, she is a much better person than I. She alone could realise that for us to marry eight years ago would have been a bad move, I had nothing to offer her other than a bed in a sloop, no money to live on, no money to buy her the things she deserved and worst of all, no real future. No Harville, I have been remiss in my thinking and have been somewhat selfish in thinking of what I had lost and how lonely I would be, I did not think of how she would manage living on the high seas at such a tender age".

I looked again at Harville as I continued my speech "I was angry and hurt but now I understand; now I love her more than ever and want to be with her, now I can do it, now I have my fortune and can offer her a much better life than what she has or indeed what she had before"

"Well then, onward Captain into the fray?"…

I smiled broadly then and we embraced in a brotherly hug.

We moved towards the door and on opening same found the Misses Musgrove standing excitedly waiting to go for our walk. Charles and Mary Musgrove were also waiting, as was Benwick.

I quickly realised that Anne was not amongst the group and wondered silently where she was. I could not remain silent for long however and asked "Ladies, is Miss Elliot not to join us?" looking around for her to appear.

Mary looked around as though I should not be asking such a question and replied "Why of course she will be joining us, no doubt she will join us forthwith Captain"

"It is not like her to be tardy, might I suggest you …" I tried to reply.

Mary interrupted me before I could finish my request, "Indeed sir surely you do not expect me, in my fragile state, to run after my sister?" cried Mary in indignation.

"No madam, I am sorry I did not mean to offend" I said softly and bowed to her.

Mary smiled and nodded and I would have taken great pleasure in putting my hands around her neck at that point.

Instead I replied with "Well if no one objects, I shall go and see how she fairs"

It was Miss Henrietta who spoke next, "Oh Captain Wentworth, you should not venture to a lady's door, I shall go and find her if you please"

I smiled and bowed to her, she was a kind girl really, "Thank you Miss Henrietta"

Henrietta went off to find Anne and we all waited patiently in the entrance way.

"Oh where is she, I cannot stand here in this draughty entrance way, it is not good for my health, perhaps we should just set off without her, she can after all follow behind us" chattered Mary in her usual selfish tones.

"Now dear, we need to wait on Anne, have patience she will be here in a second. I say Wentworth, I have never known Miss Anne to be tardy I do hope she is okay" replied Charles and trying in vain to ignore his wife.

"I did not think she would be tardy, oh here is Miss Henrietta now" I replied.

"Oh Captain Wentworth, Miss Anne is not in her room and neither is her coat or hat, she must have gone out herself" said Henrietta in a fluster.

"Gone out herself" screamed Mary, "how selfish is she and we are here waiting for her, I will give her some of my mind when we see her"

"Now Mary, it is not the end of the world, Anne is seven and twenty and can venture out herself if she so wishes"

By this time I was getting rather annoyed at the conversation, they seemed only worried about the fact that they were inconvenienced by having to wait for Anne and not the fact that she was not there.

I was concerned as I thought she had looked quite sad these past days. I know she appeared unsettled at the sight of a long lost cousin's appearance but worse than that I knew I was guilty of causing her concern with my carelessness in paying my attentions to Miss Louisa. "No" I thought to myself, "Anne is not so shallow to feel jealous of Miss Louisa, or was she"

"Well, I think we should still venture out for our walk, don't you Louisa and Henrietta? Charles, you too of course" said Mary

"My dear, we simply cannot go about as normal without Anne, we do not know where she is, we must find her and make sure she is safe. Surely you are not concerned for your sister Mary?"

"Indeed, indeed, Charles but she has not shown us any consideration, she could have let us know she was going out alone, what a selfish girl indeed"

I could feel my anger brewing at Mary's harsh words, the woman was so self-absorbed and only ever thought of her own needs.

I barely controlled my temper when I next spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a plan, Charles, why do you not take Mrs Musgrove, Miss Louisa and Miss Henrietta on the walk down to the Cobb and myself, Captain Harville and Captain Benwick will look for Miss Anne"

"Oh, no Captain Wentworth, you should come with us" said Miss Louisa in a breathless tone.

Captain Harville spoke then "Miss Louisa, the Cobb is relatively safe for a walk however the rest of the shore line in Lyme is not as good and I feel that you ladies and Mr Musgrove would be better to continue on our pre-arranged walk so that we can concentrate on finding Miss Anne. It may well be that she has gotten lost and myself and Captain Benwick know the area very well, as does Captain Wentworth. Mr Musgrove I am sure will provide you each with protection"

None of the ladies answered, although Mary and Louisa seemed most displeased at the new plans however Henrietta was quite happy to fall in with them.

Hopefully Charles and Henrietta would convince them that our presence was needed elsewhere so they each deigned to nod and smile and make their way outdoors in the company of Charles Musgrove.

I could hear Mary Musgrove's mutterings could be heard all the way down the street. Would there be no end to their hostile treatment of Anne.

Harville, Benwick and I discussed the best options of where to look for Anne. She did not know the area very well and I truly hoped that she simply went down to the Cobb for a walk and if this were the case then we would find her quickly and I would no doubt feel silly for having raised everyone's concerns.

We made our way towards the shoreline and the Cobb and decided that we should split up and look in other parts to speed up the process.

I took the shoreline as I felt that Anne would not venture onto the Cobb alone however I could be wrong.

Benwick took the Cobb and Harville decided to walk along the pier road on the off chance that she may have walked into the village shops. I doubted this as Anne was not one for shopping, especially as her family had fallen into financial difficulties.

As I made my way along the shorefront I realised that the weather was beginning to deteriorate and the wind was rising very quickly indeed. It started to rain quite heavily and I began to fear for Anne as she did not have a heavy coat with her and if she did not take cover soon she would become soaked and end up with a chill.

I was about halfway along the shoreline when I noticed the rest of our party in the distance having made their way from the Cobb, no doubt because of the deterioration in the weather. They seemed to be making their way back to the Inn. Charles Musgrove spotted me in the distance and waved his acknowledgement to me, I returned his wave.

I spotted another figure in the distance but I was unable to determine who it was. I could see however that it was a gentleman dressed all in black making his way away from the shoreline and onto the Cobb. No doubt he too was feeling the turn in the weather.

I also noted that Benwick was still on the Cobb but I doubted once again that he would have any success in locating Anne. I was glad to see that the inclement weather was not preventing Benwick from his task.

I at least had decided to wear my greatcoat along with my beaver hat and gloves and must have been walking, against the wind and rain, for at least a good ten or fifteen minutes. There was no sign of Anne and I did not know whether to feel relief or concern at this point. I hoped against hope that she had the good sense to return to the Inn.

Suddenly I heard voices shouting in the distance and I turned to find Benwick and Harville making their way towards me through what was now exceptionally heavy rain.

As they approached it was Harville who spoke, his words almost carrying in the wind.

"Wentworth, I have been all over the village and I have not been able to see Anne anywhere, Benwick here has scoured the Cobb, also to no avail. I have asked Charles Musgrove if he can check the Inn on the off chance that she may have returned. Have you had any luck?"

"No" I replied. "I am becoming very worried now Harville, this is not like A….Miss Elliot at all" I did not want Benwick to know how familiar I was with her.

"Indeed Wentworth, never fear we will not give up my friend, we will find her" said Harville as he laid his hand upon my shoulder.

"Thank you Harville"

We turned and all three of us made our way along the shoreline.

We had not walked far when Benwick spoke with urgency in his tone.

"Look Wentworth, look over there, what is that?" he shouted through the wind whilst pointing to what could only be described as a small mound in the sand.

I looked in the direction that Benwick was pointing to and saw a huge rock with a smaller mound alongside it.

"Yes Benwick I see it, come, let us hurry" I replied urgently. I could feel a chill surround my heart and nit was nothing to do with the weather. If this was Anne then I was lost, she had to be alright, there was nothing else for it.

I ran faster than I had ever run in my life and was near the rock before I knew it. I fell to the ground as it was then that I realised that it was indeed my Anne.

Benwick and Harville, even with his limp, were close behind me.

"What is it Wentworth" asked Harville breathlessly

I was unable to speak; I must have been in shock, it was all I could do to think.

Her eyes were closed, her face as pale as death and there was a nasty gash on her forehead. She was ice cold as I reached out to touch her gently, and her clothes were drenched. "Oh my God Anne, what has happened to you" I cried heartbroken.

"Oh my God" said Benwick, "it _is_ Miss Elliot"

"Wentworth, Wentworth, are you alright my man?" asked Harville.

"um…er…what, er yes, yes I am fine, Harville what happened to her, who did this to her?"

"I do not know my friend but we need to get her into the warmth and get a surgeon quickly. Once we have done this we will contact the Constables to look into this, she has clearly been attacked"

"Yes, get her into the warmth" I repeated dimly and immediately removed my great coat to wrap around her. I lifted her small light body into my arms and as I did so I then realised that there was almost nothing to her, she has lost weight these past eight years and I was not surprised in the slightest. She must have suffered dreadfully and all I seem to want to do is hurt her for my own selfish reasons. Once I had her secure in my arms I hurried as fast as I could back to the Inn. Benwick made his way to find a Surgeon whilst Harville made his way to the Constables office to report the attack.

On my arrival at the Inn I was met with Charles Musgrove and a look of horror on his countenance.

"My goodness Captain, where did you find her and what has happened to her? I will get Mary to nurse her, has someone gone for the Surgeon"

"I found her unconscious on the beach, she has been attacked and whoever has done this will pay dearly for their actions" I said in anger.

Charles Musgrove looked surprised at my outburst but I did not intend explaining myself, not to him nor to anyone, my main concern was Anne.

I made my way to her room and heard Mary running behind me "Oh goodness gracious, what has Anne gotten herself into now, she does not think of my health at all, wretched girl"

I stopped just outside Anne's bedroom as I could not believe that her sister had made so disparaging remarks about her.

I turned again in anger and said "Madam, I would thank you to think of your sisters health at present, it is no fault of hers that she has been attacked and thus wounded and I would be pleased if you would remove yourself from her presence, you do nothing to help her and I will nurse her myself so if you could excuse me I have more important matters at hand. Charles could you please ask Miss Henrietta to assist me"

Charles was sorely affronted at his wife's indignant comments and said "Indeed Wentworth, I will send Henrietta to you forthwith" and quickly ushered his wife away. I could hear her protests from a distance but I was not minding what she was saying although I could hear her husband telling her to be silent.

I laid Anne gently on top of the bed and removed my greatcoat from around her. I sat on the side of the bed and took her small, cold hand in mine. I could not believe that she had been hurt and I had not protected her. She needed protection, if not from the demons surrounding her then from her family at least. She was such a gentle person, and had a sweetness of nature, caring and lovely and basically perfection itself. How could I ever think ill of her now or ever? I loved her and should have told her of my feelings sooner and perhaps this would never have happened. What an idiot I was. We needed to be together, I was sure she felt the same as I, she had to, and if not then I was done for.

Miss Henrietta arrived and behind her stood Miss Louisa.

"Ladies, thank you for coming, I wonder Miss Henrietta could you help Miss Anne into her nightgown so that she is ready for the surgeon to visit?"

"Yes Captain Wentworth I will but I may need Louisa to help me, would that be permitted?"

"Louisa, oh yes of course, I was not thinking, yes Miss Louisa should assist you also. I shall be downstairs awaiting the surgeon please let me know when she is ready"

"Indeed Captain we will" and moved to prepare Anne for the surgeon.

I went downstairs and spoke with Harville and Benwick "Gentlemen, what do you think has happened here, I have a feeling but I do not wish to apportion blame when there may be none"

"Oh" said Harville, "Whom do you suspect then"

"Well, I noticed a gentleman leaving the shore by way of the Cobb just as I approached but he was too far away from me to determine his identity. Did either of you see the same gentleman by any chance?"

Benwick spoke first "Well I cannot say for certain Frederick but I did see a chap pass us on our way to meet with you but as you say I could not say that I could name him"

I nodded; at least he had seen him. I wondered to myself if this gentleman was indeed Mr Elliot and if so why had he returned. He had left the Inn earlier in the day unless he had discovered that the Elliot sisters were staying at the Inn and wanted to make their acquaintance. I would have thought however he could have made himself known to them.

I may however be getting beyond myself, it may not have been him at all.

I looked at Harville and said "Do you remember the gentleman from this morning who Mrs Musgrove said was her cousin, Mr William Elliot?"

Harville nodded and said "Yes, indeed, the gentleman who is the Elliot heir and who will be one day a Baronet"

"Indeed yes, but do you recall meeting him, fleetingly yesterday as we were leaving the Cobb? He was eyeing Anne intently"

"To be honest Frederick I only recall that there was someone standing at the stop of the stairs, other than that I took no notice of the man" replied Harville.

"I spotted him, he was quite interested in Miss Elliot" said Benwick.

"You say him James? Do you agree that he seemed over interested in Miss Elliot?"

"Yes I agree his attitude gave me that impression" answered Benwick.

"That is as it may, Frederick but you surely cannot blame Mr Elliot for this travesty?" asked Harville.

"I honestly do not know Harville but I feel that there is something not quite right with him, I feel it in my bones, I cannot explain it"

Mary must have overhead our discussion and said in an agitated tone "I can assure you Captain Wentworth that our most esteemed cousin Mr William Elliot would not in any way harm my sister, he is a most respected gentleman"

I looked at her with disdain, would she never put her sister first, not even now!

"So you say madam, but he is not estranged from your family for no reason and his attentions towards Miss Anne I feel would have been unwelcome, she did mention that she would not be letting your father know of your seeing him"

"How dare you say such a thing about a member of my family" retorted Mary

"I say this against a fleeting relative Madam but I would have thought you more protective over your sister than an estranged cousin"

"My sister does not communicate easily Captain Wentworth and she does not involve herself with others outside the family much at all, I feel that Mr Elliot has a high regard for Anne and wished to court her, there is no danger in that regard surely"

"Court Miss Anne Elliot, really? I do not agree with your sentiments madam, your sister is quite amiable with people and she is a good judge of character and I do feel that she has no preference towards your cousin, it is a pity he does not show reverence towards her" I said with contempt.

Mary huffed a little and puffed a little and strode from the room.

"How dare that woman defend a man who is all but a stranger to her, she is more like her father than she realises. I always knew that Anne was made of sterner stuff than either of her sisters or indeed her father"

"Never fear Wentworth, Anne will be okay, the surgeon will make sure of it"

"Yes you are right Harville. I must go to Anne now as she will be ready for the surgeon"

The task of finding out the culprit for this odious offence would lie with the Constables and it was my only hope that Anne would be conscious soon and able to tell us who her attacker was. If it was Mr William Elliot then he would pay dearly for his crime, I would make sure of it.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Once again I declare that I do not own the rights or any part of Miss Austen's work, I am only borrowing the concept along with the characters and will use and abuse them to ensure that I achieve my goals!**_

_**I would very much appreciate that you take the time to read my story and if you feel kind then offer me a review – reviews are the muse we all need to continue our writing. **_

Chapter 2

_**I have loved none but you. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone I think and plan. Have you not seen this?**_

Yes, I was determined, if nothing else, to find out what had happened to Anne but first and foremost I needed to make sure she was going to recover. Only the surgeon could say.

Benwick was but minutes before he returned with the surgeon in tow, he was shown directly to Anne's bedchamber so that he may examine her. Louisa and Henrietta remained with Anne for proprietary's sake and it did not surprise me in the least that Mary did not join them. Mary was so self-absorbed that she had no inclination or presence of mind to show concern towards her sister, just like the rest of the Elliot family. I would never to the end of my days understand their reasoning in the way they treated Anne. If I did not know any better I would say that Mary was actually jealous of the fact that Anne was hurt and required nursing and that it was not herself.

I almost felt sorry for Charles Musgrove but he has made his choice in life and he chose Mary as his wife and mother to his children.

The surgeon remained with Anne for quite some time and although I was unable to be present in the room I knew that he would be carrying out a full examination of her injuries and assessing her for what treatment was required.

I could hear the quiet voices of Louisa and Henrietta as they spoke with the surgeon, asking questions about Anne's condition and no doubt listening intently to the instructions given to them by the surgeon on how to provide her with the best care.

I was growing impatient by the minute, I could not wait to hear of how she was doing and if she would recover, will she recover, is she still unconscious, my nerves were at stretching point now.

Waiting for the surgeon to finish was almost excruciatingly painful and I was most impatient. I paced up and down the narrow walkway outside Anne's bedroom door and I felt that time had stood still.

When the door finally opened and the surgeon stepped outside into the hallway, not only myself but Charles moved forward in an effort to find out how Anne was fairing. I was anxious to find out about her condition but even more anxious to see her and bring her comfort.

"Dr Palfrey, how does she go? Will she recover? Is she still unconscious?" the questions rolled off tongue without realising it and the doctor looked at me with an exasperated look on his face.

"And you are?" asked Dr Palfrey directing his question to myself.

Henrietta had followed close behind the surgeon and made haste to make introductions. "Dr Palfrey please let me introduce Captain Frederick Wentworth who found Miss Elliot unconscious on the shoreline and this is Mr Charles Musgrove, Miss Elliot's brother in law"

"Good afternoon gentleman, I take it there are no immediate family members of Miss Elliot here?" asked Dr Palfrey

"Oh yes indeed there are, my wife Mrs Mary Musgrove is downstairs, shall I go get her doctor?" asked Charles.

"Indeed that would be good; meantime I shall explain to Captain Wentworth here how Miss Elliot is faring"

Charles set off downstairs to collect his wife although I doubted if she would be truly interested but knowing her nature she would want to be consulted on Anne's progress if only for being given her due place and situation.

"Miss Elliot has taken quite a severe blow to the head, I am unable to determine what she has been hit with but then that is not really my concern as that issue would lie with the Constables, I take it they will be involved?" asked Dr Palfrey.

I nodded to let him know that the Constables would indeed be involved.

The surgeon continued. "Well as I said, Miss Elliot has suffered quite a severe blow to the head, now I have cleaned the wound and applied a dressing, I shall of course return tomorrow to apply a fresh dressing to prevent infection. As to her other injuries, she has also managed to twist her ankle and I have applied a splint to offer support and to promote healing. As to her consciousness, I cannot offer any idea of when she will awaken, it could be within the hour or it could be tomorrow, or even next week. Injuries such as these are very unpredictable but I would urge that you keep a keen eye on her and at no time must she be left unattended. Now, I have also left a vial of Laudanum on the off chance that she does awaken and is in pain. I would also mention that it is highly possible that she could awaken in a much disorientated state and every care must be taken to ensure that she remains calm. Her memory could be affected but we will not know this until she wakes. Do you have any questions Captain?"

"Yes, I do doctor, will there be any long lasting repercussions from any of her injuries?" I asked.

"I am afraid that it is too early to tell at present, we will not know this until she awakens, the brain is a very strange thing indeed and sometimes we expect the worst and low and behold there is no lasting damage at all. We shall have to be patient and wait and see. I shall return tomorrow to check on her progress and change her dressings".

"Thank you doctor, we will follow your instructions to the letter" was my reply.

"Good, well I must say my good days and I will return tomorrow"

I led the doctor downstairs to show him out and on our way we met with Mary who was certainly not happy at missing out on her sister's progress. She made her feelings known however.

"Doctor, surely you are not leaving already, I am Miss Elliot's family and this gentleman is nothing to her but you still saw fit to give him an update on her health, am I not the person you should be directing yourself towards?" stated Mary with indignation.

"Please accept my apologies Mrs …..?" said the surgeon.

"Mrs Musgrove sir, Mrs Charles Musgrove, daughter of the esteemed Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall in Somersetshire, Baronet and Miss Anne Elliot is my sister"

"Pray beg my pardon Mrs Musgrove I had not realised that you …"

We were never to find out what the surgeon was about to say because Charles Musgrove broke in.

"Mary, please this is neither the time nor the place, the doctor here and Captain Wentworth are only looking after the interests of Miss Anne, who you are related to and your station in life is really not important my dear, and anyway if you had been so concerned about Anne in the first instance you should have been assisting to nurse her and be present whilst the doctor was conducting his examination"

I felt quite proud of Charles Musgrove at that point, it was obvious that he had a task in hand keeping his wife at bay, she was more like her father that she would care to admit and Charles was able enough for her and managed quite skilfully to put her in her place.

"Charles! I, I only…" retorted Mary

"Enough Mary, come now we shall join the others in the parlour and leave Dr Palfrey and Captain Wentworth to discuss Anne's recovery. It is not as though you can nurse your sister with your many ailments now can you" said Charles and promptly led his wife to the parlour.

"I am very sorry Dr Palfrey" I said as I began to explain the outburst.

"No no indeed Captain, there is no need to offer any apologies nor any explanation. The Elliot's are well known in these parts for their pompous ways and attitude in life therefore I understand" said Dr Palfrey with a knowledgeable smile.

"Thank you doctor. Now do you have a carriage or can I arrange for a chair for you?"

"I have my own carriage Captain, I will bid you good day and will return tomorrow around four if that is to your liking?"

"Yes doctor, thank you once again" I said as the doctor continued downstairs to make his way out to his carriage.

I turned and knocked gently on Anne's bedroom door, I needed to see her and simply be with her even if only to hold her hand.

I opened the door and entered the room to find Louisa sitting holding her hand and Henrietta standing by the table tidying up some items that the surgeon had been using.

I smiled at both ladies and walked over to where Louisa sat and asked in almost a whisper "Is there any change?"

"No Captain, she is still much the same although she is a little warm. The surgeon said if she were to become too warm we were to hold a cool wet cloth to her forehead" replied Louisa

"I have a cloth and water ready here sister" said Henrietta.

"Ladies, if you do not mind, I will sit with her for a while and apply the cool cloth to her head" I said.

"Oh Captain, are you sure that would be acceptable, I mean you cannot sit with her alone, for propriety sakes" stated Louisa

"You are correct Louisa; perhaps either you or Henrietta can stay. I have been thinking although and I must speak to your brother Charles about it, it would really be best for one of you to return to Uppercross along with Charles and Mary and the other remain here to help nurse Anne, what do you think of this suggestion?"

"Oh I do not mind staying, what about you Henrietta, will you stay or go?"

"I shall stay sister if you are staying, we can nurse Miss Anne in turns whilst Captain Wentworth sits with us"

"Ladies you are so kind, thank you indeed, I will go and quickly speak with Charles and then return to sit with Anne. Louisa, can you lay the cold cloth on Anne's forehead to see if this does indeed help her?"

"Why yes Captain, I will do this now" replied Louisa.

I thought of all of the things I had been thinking about Louisa and how I considered her trying to gain my interest to form an attachment and I then realised that this was an innocent girl. Yes she was a sweet, cheerful and amiable girl and there was nothing in her that would try and capture any man, least of all myself. I chided myself for having these thoughts.

I moved downstairs to speak to Charles Musgrove. As I entered the parlour Charles, Benwick and Harville all stood. I had forgotten that my two friends had remained and immediately offered my apologies to them.

"Benwick, Harville, please excuse me I had forgotten…."

"It is of no consequence Frederick, you thoughts were otherwise occupied, do not worry. How does Miss Anne do?"

"Excuse me Captain, but as I am Anne's sister is it not right that you should tell me firstly of her condition?" said Mary with indignation in her voice.

"Mary my dear…" said Charles immediately trying to subdue his wife before she began a further torrent on my person.

"No Charles, I demand to know the progress of my sister"

"Madam, there is no change to your sisters condition, she has a twisted ankle which the surgeon has applied a splint and she has a bad head wound which has been bandaged. There is no indication of when she will wake up so we shall have to be patient" was my reply.

"I see, and Henrietta and Louisa, pray where are they?" asked Mary.

"Miss Louisa and Miss Henrietta remain with Miss Elliot as she is not to be left alone"

"I see, so I am to sit here idle whilst you all congregate in her room, I think not" replied Mary.

"Well Mrs Musgrove, I have been discussing with the Misses Musgrove as to nursing Miss Elliot. They have each decided that they will stay on here for a while to nurse Miss Elliot which will allow yourself and Mr Musgrove to return home to your children. Naturally, I will also remain here and perhaps you could inform your father of Miss Elliot's condition, he may wish to visit"

"I return to Uppercross and leave Henrietta and Louisa to nurse my sister, my sister? Indeed Captain, I think not, they are nothing to my sister, I should be the one to nurse her, myself and Charles as you too are nothing to her"

"Mary my dear, you do not maintain good health yourself therefore it would not be in Anne's best interests for you to nurse her. What if you were to become seized in some way, how would you cope with Anne then? I could not nurse her and you would need either Louisa or Henrietta to remain and think also of our children, are they to be without their parents indefinitely? I do not think you have thought this through my dear. Captain Wentworth I think has the best notion on this, I agree with him, it would be best for us to return home" said Charles Musgrove patiently. Obvious the man had learned over the years how to master his wife and say the correct words in order to achieve the correct purpose.

"Oh, I had not realised Charles that I may take ill, you are quite right, I really cannot nurse Anne in my weakened condition, I am really not well at all and I must see my children as I cannot bear to be parted from them another night"

This turnabout did not surprise me in the slightest; I suspected that Anne would not fair well had Mary decided to stay to nurse her so I was indeed pleased at her decision.

"Thank you Mrs Musgrove. I can assure you that I will send word to you if there is any change in her progress no matter how small"

"Thank you Captain, I appreciate it and would like to stress that I would indeed take care of my sister but I cannot be expected to use up my strengths as I am weak enough as it is and I am sure that when Anne does awaken she will be fit and healthy and ready to return to Uppercross to help me recover my ailments"

I had no retort for her comment, I simply could not believe she could be so unfeeling so instead I nodded and turned to return to Anne's bedroom.

As I walked up stairs I heard the hustle and bustle of preparing to depart from the parlour, I head Mrs Musgrove call to her husband to have the bags ready as they were departing forthwith and wanted to get home before dark. Yes, I thought to myself, there was a lot of caring in that woman!

I returned to Anne's bedchamber and to her bedside. Louisa had placed the cold wet cloth on Anne's forehead but as I touched it I was surprised to learn that it was no longer wet or cold but had dried fully from the heat from her skin. I laid my hand on her forehead gently and was horrified to feel the heat that emanated from her. She had a temperature and was burning up; the surgeon had said to expect this as there could be infection from the wound.

I replaced the dry cloth with another cool one to help her. She did not move or even fidget but I knew that this would come soon. I had seen this many times on board the Asp and the Laconia when my men had been wounded and had infection. They fought their demons whilst in the throes of delirium and only some of them won their battle and came out alive at the end of it. I only hoped that Anne was strong enough to win this battle, she had to, she must as I would not let her do otherwise if it could be helped.

I truly hoped that Anne would not succumb to such a fever although if she did there was little I could do other than make her as comfortable as possible.

I sat with Anne throughout the night, Mary and Charles Musgrove had long departed and to my knowledge only Benwick and Harville remained downstairs in the parlour in case the surgeon was needed in any emergency should Anne's condition deteriorate.

I placed cold cloth after cold cloth upon her forehead and there was little or no improvement throughout. Anne eventually did succumb to the thrashing about in fever and I did my best to comfort her and hold her when needed. Henrietta and Louisa took it in turns to sit with me to maintain proprietary and to safeguard Anne's reputation. It was not that no one mistrusted me but to be on the safe side it was best to maintain this arrangement.

The Musgrove's would be long returned at Uppercross by now and I only hoped that they had the good sense to send word to Sir Elliot in Bath so that he knew of his daughter's condition. Not I thought that it would spur him to coming to her aid.

The night wore on and it was as dawn approached that the fever seemed to subside and in time Anne's temperature decreased to a more acceptable and health level. Needless to say she had still not awoken and whilst she no longer had the fever, I was still gravely concerned for her health. She was by no means out of the woods yet.

The clock had struck nine and as soon as the chime began there came a loud knock on the door of the Inn. I looked towards Henrietta who was sitting at the other side of Anne's bed but neither of us had any idea of whom it could be at this hour.

I heard the Innkeeper speak to the newcomer at the door and before long heard footsteps make their way up the stairs. The footsteps stopped outside Anne's door and there came a knock. I rose to answer the door and found Harville to be on the other side along with a Constable. I left the room and ushered them both to my own bedchamber where we could speak without distressing the ladies or indeed disturbing Anne.

"Frederick, this is Constable Jeffries, he has come to speak to you along with myself and Benwick about the attack on Miss Elliot" said Harville.

"Good morning Constable Jeffries, how can I be of assistance?

"Good morning Captain, I understand that your friend, Miss Anne Elliot, was the subject of a vicious attack not but a day ago?"

"Indeed Constable, she was. I found her unconscious and with a very bad head wound, the surgeon has been here to tend to her injuries and she also has a very badly twisted ankle. She has not yet woken and may be here for some time"

"I see, may I ask if you came across anyone else on the scene or thereabouts?"

"No Constable, I do not recall seeing any others but I have my suspicions on who could have done this" I replied.

"Ah, I would be pleased if you would give me this person's name and his whereabouts so that I could speak with them"

"His name is Mr William Elliot, I do not know where he resides but I do know he was on his way to London and then Bath, he is a long lost relative of Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall and heir to the Baronetcy. I believe he may have been travelling to visit him and his daughter at Campden Place in Bath"

"In Bath you say, Campden Place? That is good to know, I will send a message to the Constabulary there and ask them to speak with him and find out his whereabouts of yesterday. I am afraid however that it may be difficult to prove if your suspicions are correct, that is unless Miss Elliot does not wake up. On the other hand should she awaken and can identify him then it will make my task much easier to deal with"

"I truly hope that she does awaken Constable as I cannot fathom what would happen should she not"

"I understand Captain. Well if you would excuse me I must speak with Captain Benwick and Captain Harville now. If I receive any word or progress on this enquiry I will be in contact with you, likewise if you do hear from Mr Elliot or find out his whereabouts or indeed anything you deem relevant to my enquiries then please get word to me. I am based at the local Constabulary"

"Thank you Constable, if you will excuse me I must return to Miss Elliot" I replied and bid good day to the Constable

I made my way back to Anne and took up my seat at her bedside once again lifting her hand gently into mine; I raised her small hand to my lips and bestowed a kiss on her palm.

"_Anne_" I whispered, "_Anne, can you hear me, please my love, wake up, you must wake up, please my love_".


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not pretend to have the brilliance of Miss Austen although I wish I had! I am however borrowing her characters in order to bend them to my will and make them do what I want them to do. Once they have completed their tasks they can return to their rightful places in history._

_**Welcome to my third chapter, and if you have not read chapters one or two then please feel free to do so. If you are not a fan of Jane Austen and the stories she wrote to beautifully then this is most definitely not for you. (Not that I am writing them beautifully but all the same, I am writing my own version). Please feel free to review or I will become most irate!**_

_**If anyone feels like giving me some advice on what to include in this story then please feel free to do so, any input would be good and I promise I will give you some credit for any ideas that I use!**_

_**Just as long as you all give me good reviews!**_

_Chapter 3_

I did not know how long I had sat beside Anne's bed, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours, I had completely lost track of time. All I was concerned about was Anne and if she would awaken.

I noticed that the light was becoming to shine through the drab and heavy curtains that hung from the long windows of the Inn and it was then that I realised that morning was approaching and I had been sitting holding the hand of my beloved for quite some time. I had not felt any discomfort in this and certainly did not feel tired.

I gently laid her hand on the coverlet and quietly rose to look out of the window, such a small and dainty hand. As I moved to the window to reach and move the curtain aside I heard a soft but low sigh behind me. I immediately turned around to find that Anne had awoken and was looking at me. I quickly moved to her side, lifted her small hand into mind and said softly "Anne my love, you are awake, I was so worried, we have all been worried"

She moved her lips as though to speak but no sound came out, I gently laid my finger upon her lips and said "hush, do not try to speak, there is no need. I shall fetch you some water".

I reached over to the bedside table and lifted the small cup with the water inside it; I reached behind her neck and shoulders and gently raised her with one arm and proffered the cup of water to her, allowing her to take tiny sips so as to wet her lips.

Once she had drunk from the cup I laid it down and let her lie back down to rest again. I could tell that she was exhausted after even the slightest of movements.

I looked up and saw that Louisa was still sitting in the chair opposite sound asleep. I was pleased that I managed to spend at least a few short minutes with Anne, pleased I could help her in her time of need. "Rest my love, I shall go and find the surgeon" I said softly. Anne looked at me with a look of quiet thanks in here eye. Anne always did have expressive eyes; I missed seeing those soft brown eyes so much.

My next task was to get the surgeon to check on Anne so I walked around the bed and gently laid a hand on Louisa's shoulder to waken her and said in a whisper "Louisa, Miss Elliot has awoken, I think we should get the surgeon to check on her, could you wait here with her whilst I go and speak with Benwick?"

"Why of course I will Captain, I will certainly look after Anne" said Louisa with a smile and relief showing clearly on her face. Louisa was a lovely girl, amiable and friendly and would make someone a lovely wife one day, just not me.

I left Anne in the capable hands of Louisa whilst I went downstairs to speak to Benwick. He would no doubt be awake at this early hour; he hardly ever slept since he lost Fanny not six months ago. He was still grieving.

"Benwick" I asked as I entered the parlour where he was sitting, having given up his bedroom for Anne. He looked up on my arrival "Good morning Frederick" he said.

"Good morning Benwick, Anne, er Miss Elliot has awoken and we are in need of a surgeon, could I please ask you to collect him and bring him here?"

"Certainly Frederick, of course I will get him, when did Miss Elliot awaken? I am so pleased she has roused, do you think she will be okay?"

"I am not sure, she tried to speak but I would not let her, I helped her to take some water and Miss Louisa is sitting with her just now, I must return"

"Yes indeed, I will prepare and go now Frederick, please return to Miss Elliot, I would not want her to be in need of you whilst we are talking here"

"Thank you Benwick, I will return to her now and … thank you Benwick" I said as he departed the Inn.

I returned upstairs to Anne's room and noticed that she was still awake although not speaking. "Louisa, has she spoken yet?"

"No Captain but she does seem quite anxious and agitated, she keeps looking around the room as though she is searching for someone but she has not attempted to speak at all, she seems quite afraid of something" replied Louisa.

"I see" was my reply and I made my way to her bedside and once again lifted her small hand into mine.

She looked at me and I could see the fear in her eyes, I noticed that her eyes were darting about the room just as Louisa had mentioned. This concerned me and I spoke gently to her.

"Anne, what is wrong, are you looking for someone?"

She did not reply but instead looked at me intently, I could see unshed tears in her eye and I would have done anything in the world to take away her fear and make her well again. Within seconds she had given into sheer exhaustion and her eyes fluttered closed as she fell into a slumber. I was pleased that she had done so because I thought that she was looking around the room for someone who could have been her attacker and I hated the idea that she was afraid of something or someone.

Whoever has done this I decided would pay and pay dearly. I hated the idea of Anne being vulnerable or hurt, she was such a strong individual and did not show any sign of fear or vulnerability at any time. This is a strange emotion for her and I would help her as best I could.

I remained at her bedside until a knock came on the door to alert us to the surgeon's arrival. I stood and welcomed the doctor into the small room and stepped back to allow him to examine his patient.

He instantly began to check Anne's pulse and take her temperature, he asked how long she had been awake for and I explained that it must have been only for a period of fifteen to twenty minutes or thereabouts. I also explained that I had helped her to take a small sip of water when she awoke.

Louisa then spoke up before I could continue "Doctor, Miss Elliot seems quite agitated, scared even as though there was someone looking to harm her, she was quite anxious"

The doctor replied "I see, then perhaps it is as well that she has once again fallen asleep. It would no doubt be best that she is kept calm for the time being and when she awakens again then I would advise that she be given some Laudanum to aid her and keep her sedated. It is best that she recovers from her trauma through rest as the body recovers well through sleep. I do not envisage any physical ailments to prevent her recovery other than the wound to her head. I shall leave some poultice dressings should you require to change the dressing. Captain Wentworth, is it possible that you can take on this task as I have a suspicion that you may have experience of dressing wounds aboard your vessel?"

"Indeed I have doctor and I will take good care of Miss Elliot, am I to administer the Laudanum also?" I replied.

"Yes that would be for the best, if one person could take control of the dressings and the medication that would suffice"

"Thank you doctor" was my response. "Can I also ask, how long will it be before she is fully recovered?" I asked with concern in my voice.

The doctor looked at me then and indicated that he would like to speak further outside the room so we both made our way out to the hallway. Louisa remained with Anne whilst we did so.

"I am not overly concerned about Miss Elliot's physical health, the wound to her head will heal quickly, she is young and healthy so as long as there is no infection I would say that she will heal within a week or so. As to her mental wellbeing I cannot say. She may have some temporary memory loss, she may not, she may be confused for a while and no doubt will experience some anxiety for a period of time and will require some support and care throughout her recovery. Is there anyone who will be able to remain with her until she is fully recovered Captain?"

"I am able to take on this role doctor for I care for Miss Elliot deeply and I have more than sufficient time on my hands to devote to her care"

"That is superb Captain Wentworth, I can leave my patient in your capable hands. However, if she requires my attention please do not hesitate to get in touch with me although I doubt if this will be the case"

I was so relieved at these words, Anne would recover. Yes, I was still concerned for her emotional state and recover but I would stand by her no matter what.

The doctor took his leave and I went downstairs to let Benwick, Harville and the others of Anne's condition.

Everyone was relieved to say the least but there was still the issue of finding Anne's attacker and this was someone I was determined to find, no matter what it took but first and foremost was her recovery. I could not help her by leaving her side and searching for the culprit, she needed me by her side so that is where I would stay for as long as she allowed me to.

_Later that afternoon….._

I had spent most of the morning at Anne's bedside, Louisa had gone downstairs for some lunch which had been prepared by Mrs Harville. Benwick, Harville and Louisa all dined together, they were all helping to nurse Anne, and taking turns to relieve me in order that I too may have sustenance.

It shortly after lunch when there came a knock at the front door. Harville answered the door to find the Constable on the other side.

"Good afternoon Captain Harville, I come to speak with Captain Wentworth in regards to his friend Miss Anne Elliot, is he available at present, I have some news" said the Constable.

"Good afternoon Constable, indeed Captain Wentworth is here, please come in and take a seat and I shall fetch the Captain forthwith"

"Thank you Captain" replied the Constable and took the proffered seat.

Harville made his way upstairs to the room where Anne and myself were. He knocked gently on the bedroom door so as not to disturb Anne much in case she was asleep, when he entered the room I was already been making my way to the door to greet the newcomer. I was not surprised to learn that it was Harville.

"Frederick, the Constable is downstairs, he would like to speak with you for a moment, he has news" said Harville in almost a whisper.

"Oh yes of course, I shall come down immediately, is it good news my friend?" I asked, hoping that it was.

"I am sorry Frederick but I cannot say" explained Harville.

I turned to Louisa and said "Can you stay with her until I return Louisa?"

"Certainly Captain, take your time you have been here all morning and you need a break" replied Louisa.

"Thank you my dear" I replied and followed Harville downstairs to meet with the Constable.

We entered the parlour where the Constable was waiting for me and we shook hands in greeting.

"Good afternoon Captain Wentworth" said the Constable.

I replied in the same manner and took a seat opposite.

"You have news?" I asked.

"Yes Captain, I do. We have managed to locate Mr William Elliot in Bath, he was visiting his relations, the Elliot's of Kellynch whom I believe are Miss Anne Elliot's family, and Sir Walter Elliot, Baronet is her father?"

"Yes indeed they are, so what does Mr Elliot say?" I asked.

"Well, initially he denied all knowledge of the attack and the fact that he was in Lyme around the time of the incident"

I could feel the anger building up inside me and was about to let my feelings be known when the Constable continued talking.

"It appears that there is little regard or love felt for Mr Elliot by any of his relations, more importantly by Sir Elliot himself. He was most angry and concerned when he heard his daughter had been hurt and sends his regards. He himself spoke sternly to Mr Elliot who eventually relented and admitted that he was in Lyme at the time and had met up with Miss Elliot that morning. He says that they had a discussion which had become quite heated, he denies wounding her but he cannot prove his innocence. We have him in custody and he will appear in front of the Judge tomorrow morning"

I had not realised I had been holding my breath throughout this exchange until I let a long breath out through sheer relief.

"Thank goodness Constable, although I did not expect it to be so easy to locate him or for him to even admit he was in her company, I cannot thank you enough. I am pleased that Sir Walter has sent his regards but I would have been happier should he have taken it upon himself to come and see to his daughters health but this does not surprise me in the least, he never did show Anne much thought"

The Constable nodded in agreement, he obviously realised that Sir Walter was an unusually selfish man and was not surprised at his actions.

"Tell me Constable, how did this change of heart come about, what indeed did Sir Walter say to Mr Elliot to make him admit his presence in Lyme?" I asked.

"Well from what I gather there has been some bad blood between Sir Walters family and Mr Elliot for some years since, something to do with him marrying for money rather than class when he was supposed to have married his eldest daughter which left Miss Elizabeth without a suitor and highly embarrassed in social circles. Sir Walter knows that Mr Elliot is a schemer and his intentions were to court Miss Anne Elliot with a view to marriage whilst keeping his mistress, a Mrs Clay I believe, living in a mansion in Bath for his convenience. It appears that Miss Anne Elliot had discovered this information and was most unwilling to be party to any of it. She was it appears telling him that she knew of his dishonesty that morning and had threatened to expose him to society. She need not have worried on that score as Sir Walter had already been made aware of his actions and was prepared to take action himself. It is such a shame that she had to be the one hurt through this" explained the Constable.

I could feel the anger build within me and at the same time I felt anguish for Anne, I was angry with myself for my own treatment of her, had I been more approachable, more caring and more friendly then she would have come to me for help and I would have given it to her freely and this would never have happened.

"Thank you for explaining everything to me Constable, I can only hope now that Mr Elliot gets his just rewards, he deserves to be punished for what he has put Anne through" I said with feeling.

"I am positive that he will indeed be punished Captain. Now I must bid you good day" said the Constable as he rose to exit the room.

"If there are any further developments I would appreciate if you could let me know Constable, I shall remain here in Lyme until Miss Elliot has recovered and I then hope to take her home to Kellynch thereafter. I doubt she will want to go to Bath, it was never one of her favourite places".

"I shall of course advise you of any further developments Captain and I truly hope that Miss Elliot's recovery is swift. Please give her my regards" said the Constable.

"I will certainly do that Constable. Good day to you Sir" and I proceeded to show the Constable out.

Once he had left I returned to the parlour where Benwick and Harville had remained.

It was Harville who spoke first. "Well Frederick at least he has admitted his presence and as soon as Anne is fully conscious she can tell us what really happened, he knows it is only a matter of time before she speaks"

"Yes, this is true Harville, but if she does not recall the attack what are we to do?" I said feeling bereft.

"Frederick, you need to be positive for Anne's sake, you need to let he know you are strong for her, she will remember, have faith man please" said Harville.

"I know this Harville, I do and yes, I will be strong and patient and I will support her through this. I must go back to her now, thank you both for being here, we both appreciate it"

Both Harville and Benwick smiled and I thereafter left the room and returned upstairs to sit with Anne.

_**Now I beg of you please give me some nice reviews….**_

The next chapter I think I will be writing it about events in Bath, ie Mr William Elliot's arrival in Bath and his visit to Camden Place to Sir Walter and Miss Elizabeth. I intend to write this chapter on the discussion between Sir Walter and Mr Elliot and how Sir Walter shows his contempt towards him and exposed him about his dubious reasons for being in Bath and in getting in contact with Anne Elliot and Mrs Clay.

I will also write a chapter of the discussion on the cobb between Anne and Mr Elliot and show how their heated discussion went and how the attack came about!

If anyone has any ideas on how I should do this then please feel free to message me with your ideas! My brain is beginning to dry up right now so ideas are good. I promise that if anyone does offer some insights on how to proceed with the two chapters I have mentioned then I will give them due credit when publishing the chapters on fanfiction.


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